Testing machine for pipe fittings



- c. RAHM TESTING MACHINE FOR PIPE FITTINGS 7 Filed Au 21, 1919 4 sheets-Sheet 1 I Ema/"Z [Eff Haj/71, ZIYWW 7 Sept. 11, 192 3.

LESTING MACHINE FOR PIPE FITTINGS Fi le1 Aug- 21. 1919 4 sneets-Sheet B1 wi I W" Sept. 11, 11923. EAWQBF:

R. c. RAHM I TESTING MACHINE FOR PIPE FITTINGS Filed Aug. 21 1919 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 I I! 5-. I I I a 1 re zamwmxw immw mm isv i 3 Ill J Sept. 11, 1923. mmfiw R. c. RAHM j TESTING MACHINE FOR PIPE FIT'PTNGS Filed Aug. 21, 1919 4 Sheets-Sheet A To all whom it may concern:

Petented iept. ll, 1%23.

y new entrant caries.

ROBERT. CARL nnnlvr, or WYoMI'ssINe, PENNSYLVANIA, AssreNoa fro mamas VALVE AND FITTINGS COMPANY,

or P NNSYL ANI or READIN PENNSYLVANIA, a CORPORATION 'rnsrr' c MACHINE FOR rrrn FITTINGS.

Application filed August 21, 191a; Serial No. 318,985.

Be it knownthat'l, ROBERT CARL "RAH'M, a citizen-of the United States, residing at Wyomissing, in the county of Berks and- St-at'e of Pennsylvania, have invented vcertain new and useful Improvements in Testof which complete invention. and" adapted particularly for testing the fitting indicated in dotted lines.

plan views respectively.

' Figs. 2 and: 3' are "corresponding. sid'egand Fig. 4 is a sectional plan viewmainl'y on the line 4i4 'of'Fig, 1 but partly on. the line it- 40i l iglb." i Fig. 5 is a'sectional. vifew of the pressure regulating device, taken onthe line 55yof Fig. 3; and Fig.6 is a cross secti'onal view of the same on the line 66 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is sectional elevation, similar to Fig. 1, but indicating" a modified construe tion. l

The drawing indicates; in dotted lines a pipe fitting 10 in position for testing; said fitting restinguponLa seating'disc ill on the head 12; of-a fi x-e'di hydraulic cylinder'13, which latter depen'dsbetween'the two parts of aisu-pporting frame lt l l. The interior of 'the fitting is :in communication with the pressure chamber 13 of this cylinder 13 through a t'opopening 15 in the latter; and a. closing-and-clamping mechanism for the fitting is carried by an enclosingcylinder which isprovided with packing 21 and moves 'exteriorly up'on the fixedly supported depending cylindert13 the. latter thus serving as a fixed plunger upbn which the carry ingcyIinderQO is moved. I

' As shown, this-movable cylinder 20 isapior vided with a concentric inner cylinder 22 risingi'loosely into the cylinder 13"- so asto form an annularchamhen 23: for the latter to extend:- into more or less" as: the movable cylinder is raised or lowered thereo'npandthis inner cylinder 22, which has a top closure 24, is simultaneously raised and low-- cred upon a centrally fixedv column 25 pro v ded withpackingQG. The separate liquid chambers are thus provided-tor ellecting.

movement of the combinedcylinders 2022 primarily the chamber 1-3, in which; the pressure put upon admitted liquid is utilized to force said cylinders downward as desiredduringthe operation of testing;. and in addition the chamber 22; in which light pressure may be independently employed to pre liminarily set the r c'losii1g-and-clamping mechanism for the placed fitting. Liquid admitted to chamber 13* at through pip; ing 31 under control'offa three-way valve 32, and which also fills the clamped fitting 10,' is afterward subjected to a determined pressure for-testing the latter as 'hereinafter described; while liquid independently admitted to chamber 22 through the hollow column 25 and connecting piping 33, under control of a similar v-alve'at. 84', is utilized merely to reversely move the-cylinder 20 as maybe desired for clamping the fitting.

The closing-andeclanaping mechanisn15 as shown, consists of a circularly arranged se ries of jointed-levers attached to the movable cylinder-QO-a't lOand 41 as shown, and provided with desired contacts for the 'fit ting, which contacts are adapted to be forced against the latter in required direction by downward movement of said cylinder. T he contacts 4L5-, ili -are secured to side levers l6, lti so as to be pressed against thehor-izontally alined branch openings of the cross fitting indicated, while the contact 47 is secured to the} top lever l-S, which is connected by links 49 and 49? to the respective-side levers. Each; of these contacts, as shown, consists-zeta closure plate adapted to seat against. an interposed sealing disc 50 on thefitting and an adjusting screw 51 carrying the same so as to permit of itsbeing loosely setagainst the fitting. A valved air-vent '52 is provided in-connection with the contact 47. 1 f 1 In a testingoperation all of these contacts aresimultaneously pressed against the fitting by the downward movement ofthe-in'ow able-cylinder 20'underpressure exerted upon the operating medium admitted to chamber 13*; which pressure is also exerted' upon the mitted through Opening 15.

fitting, to which it is simultaneously ad- To balance the weight of the movable clamping mechanism and conveniently maintain the pivotally' connected parts in. symmetrical relation, I employ balance weights 55, connected by cords 56, running ferred to and separately shown in Figs:

' 5 and 6, comprises'aipressing lever65pro videdwithan adjustable weight 66 and connected to a pressure piston 67 iwhich pistonis movable in a verticallyfixed cylinder 68 arranged in communication with the con .duit -31 supplying liquidto chambe'r lfi The leverf65 is pivoted to a bracketYTO on said cylinder, and is adapted to maintain a uid in chamber 155 and fitting 10, as depressure, through piston 67, upon the liqtermined .bythe adjustment of'the weight 66 thereon. The jaw-[shaped end of lever 65 (Figs; 2, 4, 5) is shown as pivoted to the lower ends of a pair of linksf 73 which carry at their upper ends a supportingcol- V lar 71, and 'the screw thre-aded" piston rod 67 passes throughfthe circularly-grooved hub of an adjustingwheel'fZQ engaging said collar, so that the turning of said wheel will adjust the position ofthe. piston, 67

relative to the lever 65. -The latter is normally supported in suitably raised position as by means of acam 75 (Fig. 1), so that the turning of said cam will release the lever andpermit the weight 66 to depress it and exert the determined pressure'on pis ton 67.

Referring to the showing of Fig.1, it-will be understood that .the'balanc'ed series of levers may be symmetricallyadjusted so as to freely permitthe placing of the, fitting 10 upon the cylinder head 12, by turning the hand Wheel shaft as indicated,

the size of the fitting engaged being variable Iwithin determined limits,;with

corresponding adjustment of the projections of the several contacts 50. This adjustment, as shown, is [further variable admitting fluid pressure to chamber 22? j through conduit 33, whereby the movable cylinder-2022- may be raised as desired applying the" upon the fixed. plunger 13' to facilitate the proper securing of the fitting 10 such' pressure in chamber 22* being removed before testing pressure in chamber'13 'After'the fitting 1O thus itightly secured, liquid is admitted thro'ugh'conduit .31, under-"ordinary head available, to the minedly distribute. the

chamber 13 and'the fitting 10, until the air .is fully discharged through vent 52,-when' I it is shut ofi after whichtherelease of the;

weighted leverr from" its supporting camt 7 5 exerts the determined pressure-upon the contained liquid by pressing downward the piston 67 'The liquid being practically incompressible this downward movement is normally very-limited, but the adjusting means 72. permits, of setting the pressure piston 67 as desired relative to the'pressure lever 65.

The indicated clamping and sealing means;

carried by thehydraulicall'y moved; element 20 may evidently be varied, as indicated, for instance, in Fig. 7 where the series of ointed levers 80, 81, 82 are particularly adapted forfclamping and sealing an ell fitting 10. Thi fitting is shown as resting on; the seating disc liq-and itsopposite end closed by sealing disc 50 of a side contact451 adjustably supported in lever 82,and is main 1 tained in position by-contacts 85,86; pivotally supportedin socket 87. This socket is shown as pivoted-at the meeting-point of two li'nks88 and 89,'their oppositeends being pivoted respectivelyto leversSO-and 81, so that thecontacts '85 and 86 will automatically adjust themselves to equalizetheir retaining pressure onthe fitting 10?. Thebearing 41 forxleverj 82 is fixed to the frame 14, 14 instead of to the cylinder 20 and an-adjusting screw 87 permits of raising of lowering the lever 82. so as to regulate it for fittings ofvarious sizes; I

1' This figure also showsf' the hydraulic mechanism in simplified form, the 'means set forth 'fo-r'-"hydraulicallyadjusting" the movable cylinder 20 to facilitate the proper setting. 1 of the clamping flevers, being, I

omitted. i a

The construction specifically set forthrnay I i V befotherwis'e modified jwithin the scope-of the invention as defined in the claims. j What I claim isz 1 10 f 1 11.111 a testing machine for pipe; fittings and the like, an hydraulicplunger and'cylinderone of which is fixedly mounted and provided with an. apertured closing and supporting head for one branch ofthe fitting and the other of: which carries acircular series of jointed closing and clamp- -ing levers, and balancing ,means for said ,jointed levers- 2. Ina testing machine for pipe fittings and the like, anhydraulic plunger and cy1-.

I incler one of "which is fixedly mountedrand provided with an: apertured fitting sup-.1

porting head and the other of which carries a circular series of levers jointed to detering pressure.

Ina testing machine for pipe fittings. if and the-like, a fixedlysupporting plungerhaving a fittingsupporting head ands Ion:

.125 I closing and .clampparts. I 7 p v 6. In a testing machine for pipe fittings gitudinal liquid passage way therethrough,

an hydraulic cylinder exteriorly movableon said fixed plunger, and jointed clamping means carried by. said movable cylinder and, adapted to determinedlydistribute the clamping pressure. V

4. In a testing machine for pipe fittings and the like, a fixedly supported plunger having afitting supporting head and a longitudinal liquid passage way therethrough, an hydraulic cylinder 'exteriorly movable on said fixed plunger, a circular series of jointed closingand clamping levers carried by said movable cylinder, and weight bal-' ancing means for said jointed levers.

5. In a testing machine for pipe fittings and thelike, a fixedly supported plunger having a fitting supporting .headand a longitudinal liquid passage Way therethr'ough,

an hydraulic cylinder exteriorly movable on said fixed plunger, a circular series of jointed closing and clamping levers carried by said movable cylinder, and weight balancing adjusting means for said movable and'the like, a fixedly supported plunger having a fitting supporting head and a longitudinal liquid passage Way therethrough, an hydraulic cylinder exteriorly movable on said fixed plunger, andfitting clamping and. v sealing means "carried by said movable cyl inder.

7. In a testing machine for pipe fittings' and the like, a fixedlysupported plunger having a fitting supporting head and a longitudinal liquid passage way therethrough,

an hydraulic cylinder exteriorly movable onv said fixed plunger, anda circular series of jointed clamping levers carried by said movable cylinder, certain of said levers being provided with fitting contacts.

8. In a testing machine for pipe fittings I and the like, a fixedly supported plunger having a fitting supporting head and a lonand the like, a fixedly supported plunger having a fitting supporting head and a longitudinal liquid passage way therethrough,

a fitting clamping cylinder movable on said fixed plunger and provided with an inverted concentric inner cylinder, and a fixedly supported hollow plunger column extending into said inner cylinder and provided with 1 a liquidpassage way to the latter;

'10. In a testing machine for pipe fittings and the like, a fixedly supported plunger having a; fitting supportinghead and a 1011- gitudinal liquid passage way therethrough, f

a fitting clamping cylinder movable on said fixedplu'nger and provided with an inverted concentricinner cylinder, anda'fixedly supported hollow plunger column extending intosaidinner' cylinder-and independently, v controlled liquid conduits to said movablecylinder and hollow column respectively.

11. In a testing" machine for pipe fittings "and the like, an hydraulicplunger and cylinder one of which is fixedlymounted and provided with an apertured fitting supporting head and the other ofwhich carries clamping means adapted Y to determinedly distribute the clamping pressure, liquid supplying means, and' pressure applying means comprising a weighted lever and connected pressure piston.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

7 ROBERT CARLRAHM. 

